Faith, Love and Chocolatehttp://faithloveandchocolate.com
Running a cake and cookie decorating business as a homeschool mom.Sat, 14 Sep 2019 12:23:53 +0000en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.381065433How to Make a Globe Cake.http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/09/10/how-to-make-a-globe-cake/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/09/10/how-to-make-a-globe-cake/#respondTue, 10 Sep 2019 21:31:34 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=1026 I’ll be honest with you, when I was first asked to make this globe cake for our church’s mission trip fundraising event I was honored, but also extremely nervous! I had never made a sphere cake before. I had no idea what size pans to use, and my biggest fear was how in the […]

I’ll be honest with you, when I was first asked to make this globe cake for our church’s mission trip fundraising event I was honored, but also extremely nervous! I had never made a sphere cake before. I had no idea what size pans to use, and my biggest fear was how in the world to get the icing smooth on a round cake??

BUT, I decided to give it a go.

So I did some research. Of course that means googling “how to make a globe cake?”. I found and watched some very helpful YouTube videos. The most valuable thing I learned was that I needed a flexible dough scraper. I wouldn’t have even thought about using a flexible dough scraper, so bless you YouTube cake decorators!

I ordered my pans, my flexible dough scraper, and got to work on making my globe cake.

I used 8 inch round pans and painted them with my homemade pan release. I filled them about 3/4 full and baked them as usual. I make sure I put down a good layer of buttercream onto my cake drum before putting my cake on.

I was a little worried about getting the cakes out of the pans, but thanks to my homemade pan release they slipped right out. I let them cool and then torted (fancy word for layered) them with a serrated knife. I contemplated for a while if I was going to torte them or not. Would I be pushing my luck? But I finally decided to start praying and torting because I really didn’t want that big of a chunk of cake with no icing. I’m a lots of icing kinda girl.

Torting the cake layers was not hard. Although my torting skills by hand are not perfect, hence why I love my cake leveler, everything turned out OK. I then filled and stacked the layers just like I would for a regular cake.

After getting all of the layers filled and stacked, I let the cake sit in the freezer for about 30 minutes. A cold cake is always easier to crumb coat no matter the shape.

I used a regular cake spatula for the crumb coat and my new flexible dough scraper to smooth it out. After the cake was completely crumb coated I did add some royal icing (recipe here) around the base of the cake because it wasn’t sturdy or as attached to the cake board for my liking. I placed the cake into the refrigerator to let the royal icing and the crumb coat harden.

I colored my buttercream blue for my final layer of buttercream and frosted and smoothed it with my cake spatula and flexible scraper.

How to Make a Globe Cake

After adding my final layer of buttercream, I began working on my countries. I wanted a lighter color of green to contrast the blue so I colored my fondant with leaf green. It was 100% fondant with no tylose added because I wanted it to lay flat on my cake. (For more about tylose read here). I looked through our Atlases for homeschool and found a perfect map I wanted to use. I copied the map onto card stock, cut out the countries and used them as a template to cut out my fondant.

I added a light coat of water to the back of my fondant and attached all of the countries to the cake.

You can’t see it very well in the picture, but since this cake was for the mission team’s trip to Nepal in November, I added a “pin” to the country of Nepal. My pin was made out of a half of a toothpick and a tiny ball of red fondant. I thought it added a very cute touch.

I also added the banner to the front of the cake board to give it a little more detail. I show you how to make that in a tutorial here.

Overall I was pretty proud of myself for how the cake turned out and even prouder that I tried something new! I hope this tutorial helps you if you will be making a globe cake anytime soon!

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/09/10/how-to-make-a-globe-cake/feed/01026How to Make a Fondant Bannerhttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/08/26/how-to-make-a-fondant-banner/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/08/26/how-to-make-a-fondant-banner/#respondMon, 26 Aug 2019 10:31:12 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=1023 Fondant banners are super easy to make, and can really add a beautiful touch to your decorated cakes. They can seem intimidating, but I assure you they are not at all as hard as they look. I will show you in this tutorial how to make a fondant banner in a few simple steps. […]

Fondant banners are super easy to make, and can really add a beautiful touch to your decorated cakes. They can seem intimidating, but I assure you they are not at all as hard as they look. I will show you in this tutorial how to make a fondant banner in a few simple steps.

How to make it.

First, determine the size of the banner you want. Add about 2 inches on each side of the length since you will be rolling the sides over to create the folded ends. After you’ve determined the size of your banner, roll out and cut your fondant to a 1/8″ thick rectangle.

Next, with your pizza cutter or X-acto knife, cut triangles into the ends of your banner.

Now, take your fingers under the piece of fondant and roll and fold the ends of the banner. Gently move the fondant banner around until you have it the way you like it.

And that’s it! You have yourself a fondant banner. Wasn’t that easy?! You’ll need to set it aside on wax paper and let it dry.

Fondant banners add a beautiful touch to cakes or cake boards. They’re great for writing on. I use royal icing to write on mine.

I would love to see your fondant banners, so if you use this tutorial to make your fondant banner tag me @faithloveandchocolate and I will be sure to share your creation!

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/08/26/how-to-make-a-fondant-banner/feed/01023Decorating Cakes With Fondant: The Ultimate Guidehttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/08/12/decorating-cakes-with-fondant-the-ultimate-guide/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/08/12/decorating-cakes-with-fondant-the-ultimate-guide/#respondMon, 12 Aug 2019 15:04:15 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=941 I hated fondant and I hated decorating cakes with it. I hated working with it so much that at the beginning of my cake decorating business, I vowed to only make and sell buttercream cakes. But I soon realized the limitations of not using fondant. Clients ordering birthday cakes, especially for kids, usually want […]

I hated working with it so much that at the beginning of my cake decorating business, I vowed to only make and sell buttercream cakes. But I soon realized the limitations of not using fondant. Clients ordering birthday cakes, especially for kids, usually want some type of fondant decorations.

Kids like characters and cool scenes on their cakes.

So I decided to start learning more about fondant. I watched YouTube videos, read blogs and books, and practiced a lot.

I’m finally to the point where decorating cakes with fondant doesn’t scare me, it actually excites me!

I decided to put together the ultimate guide to working with fondant so you would have a reference guide with all of the information in one place. Having good information on fondant all in one place would have saved me a lot of time when I was learning. Hope this guide helps you!

What is fondant?

Fondant is an edible icing.

It can be made into a poured fondant or a sugar dough. Poured fondant is used on desserts like Petit Fours and cookies. In this guide I will be referring to fondant sugar dough, which is used for covering cakes and adding decorations.

When do you use fondant?

Fondant can be used to cover whole cakes, or it can be used to add detail to buttercream cakes. Fondant is soft and flexible. It is also good for cutting out shapes that you want to lay flat on the sides of your cake.

How do I attach fondant decorations to my buttercream or fondant cake?

You can attach small fondant decorations directly on the surface of buttercream or fondant covered cakes. Fondant cutouts will usually stick to a freshly frosted cake If your are not, you can apply water to the back of the fondant cutout before attaching or to make sure your decorations stay you can use homemade Tylose glue for fondant.

How do I make my fondant dry hard?

When making 3D decorations for your cakes such as people or animals, you will want to add a hardening agent to your fondant. If you don’t, your figures will not dry hard and you will end up with a mess. Trust me, I learned this the hard way!

Tylose powder is a binding agent that hardens fondant when added to it. Fondant mixed with Tylose is known as gumpaste in the cake decorating world. Don’t worry, it won’t harden right away. You will still have time for modeling. You can also add pre-made store bought gum paste to your fondant. This is also called 50/50 paste. You want a 1:1 ration of fondant to gumpaste. 50/50 paste will also harden to allow you to make 3D figures for your cakes.

How do you color fondant?

Fondant comes in many different colors, but buying so many colored fondants can get expensive.

The easiest way to color fondant is with a toothpick. Stick the toothpick into the food color and wipe onto the fondant. Kneed the fondant thoroughly until your color is mixed through.

If you don’t want food colored stained hands you can wear plastic gloves. Gloves also help to keep colors from transferring from your hands onto other colors.

I do always buy black fondant. For me it’s easier to buy black fondant than to color it myself. Coloring black fondant can make a huge mess and it never seems to get as black as the pre-made.

Adding too much color can also change the consistency of your fondant. It can become extra sticky. If this happens add cornstarch to your fondant and kneed until it’s not sticking to your hands.

How do you store fondant?

Fondant has a pretty long shelf life, but must be kept in an air tight container, Ziploc bag or wrapped in plastic wrap. Fondant starts drying out fast, so as soon as you are not handling it you will want to cover it. You can pre-make fondant decorations for applying to the surface of your cake by keeping them sealed in a Ziploc bag until you’re ready to attach to your cake.

Tips For Decorating Cakes With Fondant

1.Prepare your work space first.

You will set yourself up for success and less stress when you set up your work area and get all of your tools and supplies out before your start working with fondant. When I don’t do this, I have to keep getting up from working and it gets frustrating.

2. Have the right supplies.

Before beginning your project, make sure you have the right tools and supplies that you’ll need. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing you don’t have a certain tool or ingredient when your in the middle of your creation.

3. Pre-color your fondant.

Coloring several batches of fondant can take time. Plan your cake timeline and color your fondant in advance on a day that you are not doing the actual decorating. Fondant colors will also deepen over a couple of days, so your fondant will be at its brightest color when you’re ready to decorate your cake.

4. Roll your fondant out to the right thickness.

Working with fondant that is rolled at about 1/8″ is best. Cut-outs are easier to work with when rolled thin and too thick fondant can cause cracks and other issues when covering a whole cake. Roller guides that go on the ends of your fondant rolling pin help with measuring your fondants thickness and rolling it out evenly.

5. Try different brands.

Every brand of fondant is not the same. If you’ve had trouble with one brand, try another. You will eventually find one you like more. Or you might like working with homemade fondant best.

6. Add Tylose if needed.

If your fondant is too soft to work with try adding some Tylose powder to harden it up a bit.

Fondant Troubleshooting

1. What is elephant skin?

Elephant skin is caused when your fondant is too dry. This causes your fondant to wrinkle and crack. To repair elephant skin add a small amount of shortening and knead thoroughly into your fondant.

2. How do I repair cracks on a fondant cake?

Use a fondant smoother and a small amount of shortening for small cracks or tears if fondant is already on your cake.

3. Why is my fondant not sticking?

If your fondant is not sticking to your cake or to another piece of fondant add water, or preferably Tylose glue.

4. Why is my fondant sticking to my counter, cutters and molds?

Fondant will stick to any surface if cornstarch or powdered sugar in not applied to that surface. Generously apply cornstarch or powdered sugar with your dusting pouch (learn to make your own here) to your work surface, cutters or molds. If any gets on your final decoration, gently dust it off with a dry or damp paint brush.

5. How do I get rid of rough edges on my fondant cutouts?

Gently rub your finger around the edges of your cutouts to keep the edges smooth and sharp.

6. My fondant decorations are too soft.

7. Why is my fondant melting?

Fondant cakes need to be stored in a cool dry place. Do not put fondant cakes in the refrigerator. Condensation will form and cause your fondant to become sticky, start sliding, and possibly cause your colors to run.

8. Why is there condensation on my cake?

You have stored your cake in a wet place, probably your refrigerator. Do not touch the cake. Place it in a cool dry area and condensation will seep back into fondant.

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/08/12/decorating-cakes-with-fondant-the-ultimate-guide/feed/0941Must Have Tools For Decorating Fondant Cakes: Ultimate Guidehttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/30/musthavefondanttools/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/30/musthavefondanttools/#respondTue, 30 Jul 2019 12:56:04 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=945 Confession; I used to hate fondant. When I started taking cake orders I avoided decorating fondant cakes. I vowed to only decorate and sell buttercream cakes. But as I started getting more and more cakes orders, I saw the limitations in my business from not taking on fondant cakes. A lot of cakes ordered […]

Confession; I used to hate fondant. When I started taking cake orders I avoided decorating fondant cakes. I vowed to only decorate and sell buttercream cakes. But as I started getting more and more cakes orders, I saw the limitations in my business from not taking on fondant cakes. A lot of cakes ordered for children’s birthdays have fondant characters and decorations.

The more I started teaching myself about cake decorating in general, I found tips and tricks to make decorating fondant cakes easier. So I decided to begin using fondant in small decorations. When I learned the basics of using fondant and bought the right tools I began to really enjoy using it in cake decorating. A lot of these tools are tools you would never think of using in cake decorating, but when you do use them they are truly essential to successfully decorating a fondant cake.

Cornstarch is used to help prevent fondant from sticking. I use cornstarch on any molds or cutters so my decorations will easily slide out. Keeping a cornstarch dusting puff around makes dusting my surface, molds, and cutters much easier and convenient to use. They are super easy and cheap to make.

A ruler is great to have even if you do have a fondant mat with measuring lines. You will still need to measure your cakes when covering them with fondant A ruler also provides a great guide for cutting straight lines for other fondant decorations.

When covering a cake with fondant, a fondant smoother is an essential tool for shaping and smoothing rolled out fondant onto your cake. You will also need a fondant smoother to repair any tears or cracks on your fondant covered cakes. To see more about troubleshooting for fondant covered cakes read here.

This is my favorite secret tool for working with fondant! You just fill the water brush pen up with water and it’s ready to go when you need to glue your fondant decorations. It saves time, dishes and space, and this homeschooling mama appreciates all of that!

A clay extruder is a great tool to use when you need rolled fondant for decorating your cake. I’m not a great hand roller. I can never get my rolled fondant even so an extruder is a life saver for me in these types of projects. You can use an extruder for details such as ropes and hair.

Fondant dries out super quick. As soon as you are done handling a batch of fondant you need to cover it with plastic wrap or seal it in a Ziploc bag. You can also use Ziploc bags to keep premade fondant decorations soft until you’re ready to attach them to your cake.

Because fondant dries out so quickly, I keep shortening close by when working with it so I can add moisture back to it if I need to. Shortening is also great to use on your hands to prevent the fondant from sticking to you.

Fondant molds make the possibilities of creating fondant decorations endless. There are so many fondant molds out there. This bow mold was one of the first fondant molds I purchased, and I still use it quite a bit.

Modeling tools help you sculpt and add detail to your fondant work. This set is a good beginners set. You will want to add more specific modeling tools to your supplies as you advance in your fondant work.

Yes, you read that right, spaghetti noodles! This is another neat tip that I’ve learned along the way. Instead of using toothpicks in your 3D figures use spaghetti noodles in case a child sticks the fondant figure in their mouth. Genius!

Decorating fondant cakes doesn’t have to be stressful. With lots of practice, patience and the right tools you can make beautifully decorated fondant cakes too!

Have I missed any must have tools for decorating cakes? What do you use that you couldn’t live without while working with fondant?

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/30/musthavefondanttools/feed/0945DIY Cornstarch Puff for Working With Fondanthttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/30/diy-cornstarch-puff-for-working-with-fondant/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/30/diy-cornstarch-puff-for-working-with-fondant/#respondTue, 30 Jul 2019 12:47:39 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=964 When using fondant for cake decorating it’s a good idea to keep cornstarch (or powdered sugar) close by. Fondant is sticky. It can stick to your work surface, cutters or molds, and this can cause a mess and unnecessary cake decorating stress! This DIY Corstarch puff is super simple and cheap to make and […]

When using fondant for cake decorating it’s a good idea to keep cornstarch (or powdered sugar) close by. Fondant is sticky. It can stick to your work surface, cutters or molds, and this can cause a mess and unnecessary cake decorating stress!

This DIY Corstarch puff is super simple and cheap to make and really comes in handy when working with fondant.

What you’ll need.

Cheesecloth

Scissors

Rubber band

Ribbon (optional)

Cornstarch (or powdered sugar)

Making Your Cornstarch Puff

Using a ruler or your nonstick fondant mat, cut a square out of your cheesecloth. My square was 7×7.

Put one big scoop of cornstarch in the middle of your cut cheesecloth.

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/30/diy-cornstarch-puff-for-working-with-fondant/feed/0964Farm Animal Themed Birthday Cakehttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/24/farm-animal-themed-birthday-cake/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/24/farm-animal-themed-birthday-cake/#respondWed, 24 Jul 2019 12:18:17 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=919 Farm animal themed birthday parties are super cute! When this cake was requested I was excited to practice these farm animal cake figurines. In the beginning days of my cake decorating journey I would stay away from fondant figures, but as I have become more confident in cake decorating I love making them! […]

Farm animal themed birthday parties are super cute! When this cake was requested I was excited to practice these farm animal cake figurines. In the beginning days of my cake decorating journey I would stay away from fondant figures, but as I have become more confident in cake decorating I love making them!

Fondant Help

Sculpting fondant figures take a lot of practice and patience, but one of my favorite cake decorating resources Bluprint, is one thing that helps me the most. Bluprint is a subscription DIY website that allows you to have access to thousands of hours of video that teach you almost anything you want to learn. They have a huge selection of cake decorating and baking videos, which is why Bluprint is my favorite teaching website. I love watching the videos they offer. The classes help me tremendously. The specific class that helped me with this cake was Cake Topper Techniques: Fondant Animals.

CAKE DETAILS AND SUPPLIES I USED.

The cake was a two- tier cake, with 2, 8-inch layers on the bottom, and 2, 6-inch layers on top. I baked the cake in my Wilton cake pans and as always, I used my homemade cake pan release before baking (you can find the recipe here). I leveled my cake layers with my Wilton leveler, and filled and frosted them with vanilla american buttercream.

The clouds, barn and fence were made out of plain fondant without the Gum-Tex powder since I wanted them to stick to my cake. I used these cloud cutters for the clouds and this fence cookie cutter for the fence. For the barn I cut everything out by hand with my X-ACTO knife and pieced it together using water as my glue.

Cake Travels

This cake also had to travel to another state and it made it with no problems! I used bubble tea straws for support and a long dowel in the center of both cakes to hold them together.

This cake was a big hit and the birthday girl loved it!

Any Questions?

Do you have any other questions about how I made this cake? Let me know in the comments!

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/07/24/farm-animal-themed-birthday-cake/feed/0919Homeade Cake Pan Releasehttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/05/10/homeade-cake-pan-release/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/05/10/homeade-cake-pan-release/#respondFri, 10 May 2019 18:24:06 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=839 This recipe will change your life. Okay, maybe it won’t change your life, but it will change your baking. Before I learned about this recipe, preparing my pans for baking cakes felt like a chore. I was buttering and flouring my pans and then cutting out 8 or 6 inch circles of wax paper […]

Okay, maybe it won’t change your life, but it will change your baking.

Before I learned about this recipe, preparing my pans for baking cakes felt like a chore. I was buttering and flouring my pans and then cutting out 8 or 6 inch circles of wax paper to make sure my cakes would slide out easily.

I’m not sure where I originally found this recipe. I’ve seen it on several baking blogs since I began using it, but nevertheless you will want to make this homeade cake pan release (aka GOOP), and keep it on hand if you’re a baker. It is super cheap and super easy to make.

What you will need.

1 cup flour

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup shortening

*You can half this recipe if you don’t bake very often.

Add the flour, oil and shortening into a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

Spoon into a storage container or jar.

And that’s it! It’s that easy!

Goop can be stored in an airtight container and will last a good while. You can use this for brownies, muffins or anything else your baking up!

I use a paint brush to paint it on the cake pans before pouring in my batter.

It works great for bundt cakes too!

You’ll have no more cakes stuck in the pan with this simple to make DIY pan release!

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/05/10/homeade-cake-pan-release/feed/0839How to Make an Ice Cream Cone Drip Cakehttp://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/03/12/how-to-make-an-ice-cream-cone-drip-cake/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/03/12/how-to-make-an-ice-cream-cone-drip-cake/#respondTue, 12 Mar 2019 12:55:40 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=833 There are 2 things I will eat or drink no matter what the temperature is outside. I will drink hot coffee when it’s 100 degrees, and I will eat ice cream when it’s 30. So, an ice cream themed birthday party in the middle of February sounded all right to me! This upside […]

]]>http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/02/14/galaxy-cupcakes/feed/0501How to Crush Your Goals in 2019http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/01/01/how-to-crush-your-goals-in-2019/
http://faithloveandchocolate.com/2019/01/01/how-to-crush-your-goals-in-2019/#respondTue, 01 Jan 2019 12:29:19 +0000http://faithloveandchocolate.com/?p=740 It’s a new year and you know what that means? No, not new years resolutions, new years goals! What’s the difference you ask? Well, resolutions usually don’t last very long. You make a decision in your head, you might say them out loud and tell a few people, but by March you’ve fallen off […]

It’s a new year and you know what that means? No, not new years resolutions, new years goals!

What’s the difference you ask? Well, resolutions usually don’t last very long. You make a decision in your head, you might say them out loud and tell a few people, but by March you’ve fallen off the wagon…again. Goals, if you set them up the way I’m getting ready to show you, will let you accomplish the things you really want to do.

We all have dreams and aspirations. Things we would like to do. Things we would like to learn. So why do some people reach their goals while others just keep dreaming about theirs? Keep reading to find out why and how you can set yourself up for success in 2019.

What are your goals?

Schedule some time to sit down without distractions and really think about what you would like to accomplish in 2019. Wake up before anyone else if you have to. Get out a piece of paper and start brain dumping. Just start writing. Write down the things you want to do this year, things you want to learn, projects you want to complete, business goals you have. Get it all out of your head and on to your piece of paper.

After you have all of your goals written down, circle the ones that mean the absolute most to you. The ones that would really make a difference in your life or your family’s lives if you accomplished them. Now, if your like me and have a ton of goals I’m not saying you can’t reach them all, but you don’t want to overwhelm yourself and set yourself up for failure at the get go. Remember, you are not coming up with resolutions. Your setting goals and you want success!

Rewrite your goals clearly and descriptively.

Now that you have your top goals for 2019 figured out it’s time to clearly write them out in a way that you can develop an action plan for successfully achieving them. Studies show that people who clearly and descriptively write down their plans are 80% more likely to achieve their goals. That’s a pretty big success rate for just writing them down.

While writing down your goals use the SMART acronym to guide you. Your goals should be:

S-Specific

M-Measurable

A-Attainable

R-Relevant

T-Time Bound

For example, one of my goals in 2019 is to write one new blog post a week for the next two months. That goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.

Keep your goals somewhere that you will see them often.

If you’ve done all this hard work on setting your goals only to never see them again then what the point? You need to place them somewhere that you will see them frequently. Maybe on your desk, nightstand, refrigerator or in your home management binder.

Make a plan.

Creating and writing down your goals are a big part of reaching your goals, but only part of the process. Having a plan is what’s going to get you there. When and where will you work on these goals? Come up with this plan now not later. Will you get up early? Will you stay up late? Will you work on your goals during nap time? After you decide when and where you will be working towards your goals, write it on your calendar and schedule this time in.

Stick with it.

Commit to yourself to stick with your plan for a specific number of days. It’s so easy to get sidetracked, derailed, and fall off the wagon. But if you commit to working on your specific goals at specific times, eventually they will turn into habits and you won’t even have to think about working out or getting up early to read your Bible or work on that project you’ve always wanted to finish. Won’t that be nice?!

Give yourself grace.

Go ahead and prepare yourself for grace not perfection. You will hit that snooze button one morning and you will not feel like working out one day. But when that happens, give yourself grace not guilt and start anew next time!